Month: February 2012

Held off posting this morning, hoping to have some actual news to report.

Not the case. Well, maybe a little.

Having been cheated out of their first day off at home in three weeks by mechanical problems on their charter jet that kept them in St. Paul an extra night, the Sharks ended up with the day off today as the coaching staff canceled a scheduled practice after last night’s 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Yes, the outcome of that game may have had something to do with that decision, too.

Still, there were a few things hanging around after last night’s thriller that might have provided fresh meat for the crowd here.

Frankly I thought Marc-Edouard Vlasic would be hearing from the NHL this morning about that hit on Daniel Briere. And maybe Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo might get a call for the open-ice contact in the vicinity of TJ Galiardi’s head.

But I asked a league source if the NHL was looking into either and here was the response, the closest thing to news I’ve got: “Already looked, nothing up.”

I was going to mention this anyway, but what I found a little extra noteworthy about Vlasic’s hit was that his lone NHL fight was with Briere on Nov. 20, 2009, according to the well-kept records at hockeyfights.com. And when I asked Vlasic the next day what prompted that fight that seemed to almost come out of nowhere, he said it was carryover from the previous season when the two teams last played. Not saying there was carryover this time, too, just pointing out there was a little history.

The other update I hoped to provide was anything new on Todd McLellan’s situation, but I’m advised there won’t be anything coming until tomorrow.

Nothing really new not he injured players’ either. Talked with Douglas Murray last night, but he said he’s still at the mercy of the doctors. Did hear elsewhere that Murray has been undergoing strenuous workouts and skates, testing his body under non-game conditions to see if that fractured Adam’s apple creates any breathing problems and so far, so good.

Todd McLellan, as you probably already know, won’t be behind the bench tonight due to concussion-like symptoms after getting whacked by that stick in Minnesota on Sunday. Matt Shaw and Jay Woodcroft are sharing the coaching duties.

I won’t repeat the web story we posted earlier, but here’s an additional quote from Joe Thornton about the coaching situation tonight against Philadelphia: “I really don’t know how it’s going to work. I know Jay always handles the forward side and Shaw-sy is always on the back end. As far as who is controlling the bench, I don’t know. They both were equally involved against Minnesota.” Continue Reading →

As the Sharks were flying home Monday from Minnesota, the players all were paying close attention to trade deadline news on their computers and hand-held devices. So Jamie McGinn knew San Jose was in the running for Colorado’s Daniel Winnik when news started to seep out about a possible Sharks-Avalanche trade.

“Then I felt a tap on my shoulder and was told to go talk to Todd (McLellan),” McGinn said. Continue Reading →

There was no update on Logan Couture, who took three hard checks in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota and wasn’t on the ice in the final minutes. The same goes for new Shark Dominic Moore, who is out with a lower-body injury. Continue Reading →

In case you missed the story posted already, TSN first reported that the Sharks have dealt Jamie McGinn and prospects Mike Connelly and Michael Sgarbossa to Colorado for forwards Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi.

Feel free to discuss

UPDATE FROM OUR WEB STORY:

The Sharks addressed their lack of depth at forward by acquiring Colorado forwards Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi on Monday for a package of players that includes Jamie McGinn.

Prospects Mike Connelly and Michael Sgarbossa also went to Colorado.

The Sharks also got a seventh-round pick in the deal.

McGinn, a third-line forward, has 12 goals and 12 assists on the season for the Sharks in 64 games.

Winnik, a 26-year-old left wing, has 5 goals and 13 assists in 63 games this season. He also has 42 penalty minutes. His career statistics are 34 goals and 62 assists in 345 career games with the Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes.

The thinking probably is the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Winnik can add some size and grit to the third or fourth line. He also is a strong penalty-killer.

Galiardi, 23, a speedy left wing, has 8 goals and 6 assists this season in 55 games. He
was a second-round pick in 2007.

Folks, with DP in the air this morning as he returns home from that marathon roadie, I’m monitoring the trade deadline fun.

Here’s the usual caveat with the Sharks: Be skeptical of any rumor you read or hear. GM Doug Wilson must have apprenticed at the CIA because he is very good at the cloak-and-dagger thing. When he makes moves, you usually don’t see them coming. Continue Reading →

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Maybe it’s because I’ve had my share of travel, um, inconveniences this season. But for whatever reason, I’m feeling the Sharks pain right now.

No, not the angst that comes with a 2-6-1 roadie. And not even the literal pain that Todd McLellan is dealing with after getting smacked with a stick early in the second period.

Because of on top of all that, on top of the fact they’ve been on the road since before Valentine’s Day, the Sharks are not flying home as planned tonight.

Mechanical trouble grounded their charter plane and they’ve all been brought back to their usual hotel in St. Paul, which luckily had not filled the necessary 40 or 50 rooms.

Yeah, I hear some of you taking delight in that. But realize this means they’ll be playing Philadephia at home on Tuesday night without the benefit of a true day off. Travel days, trust me, are not true days off.

Meanwhile, the Flyers area already in the Bay Area, enjoying the sunshine and basically chillin’.

Yeah, I know the coaches and players will say “no excuses.” But the unfriendly skies have just made the challenge of putting this miserable 2-6-1 trip behind them even greater.

CHICAGO — The game starts in less than three hours and I’m at Midway, watching the plane just pulling up to the gate now that is supposed to get me there on time.

I know there are bigger issues out there — How to fix what’s obviously broken on the Sharks? What will Doug Wilson do between now and the Monday noon trade deadline? Is Rick Nash really an option and at what price?

But I’ve got nothing to add to that conversation at this point because I’ve been physically separated from the team since last night’s loss and, like you, dependent on Twitter for the latest non-developments.

So just thought I’d make a quick appearance to let you know this will be as close as I’ve ever cut it as far as making or missing the opening faceoff on the road. The latest from the airline is we land at MSP at 4 p.m. CST, which gives me an hour to get off the plane, get into the cab and head straight for the Xcel Energy Center, luggage and all.

*****At this point, of course, it really is to late for the Sharks to salvage the road trip. At this point, it really is all about the two points and coming home a little less mired in what Todd McLellan likes to call the crap. Which is what makes it interesting.

*****I know a lot of you are totally frustrated with some of the nonsense going on in the Comments section and I’m not even talking about the usual differences of opinion. I’m totally frustrated times 10. All I know is the IT folks are trying to come up with a solution and we’re weeding as fast as we can when circumstances allow.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Before getting down to the business of Sharks vs. Predators, a little background information on all those trade reports surrounding Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, particularly those that suggest he could be headed to San Jose.

For the last few weeks, coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ attempt to trade captain Rick Nash have included the Sharks among the five teams for which he would waive the no-movement clause in his contract.

Much of that is tied to the fact Nash and Joe Thornton became close friends when they were linemates for Davos, Switzerland, during the 2004-05 NHL lockout and later as teammates on Team Canada during its 2010 Olympic gold medal run in Vancouver.

But the Nash-Thornton connection goes deeper than that. Nash’s agent, Joe Resnick, is a co-founder with John Thornton, Joe’s brother and agent, in Top Shelf Sports Management.

With Nash locked up in a contract that pays him an average of $7.8 million through the 2014-15 season, it’s not as if Resnick has any financial leverage with either Columbus or San Jose, but arguably it is in Top Shelf’s self-interest as well as that of its two clients to see the players wearing the same jersey.

Coincidentally, the Blue Jackets’ initial asking price from the Sharks was Logan Couture, another one of John Thornton’s clients. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is said to have made clear that Couture was not on the table.

The Resnick-Thornton business link also came into play three years ago when the Sharks were one of three teams competing to sign free agent European goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, another one of Resnick’s clients. Gustavsson ended up signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

My way of noting it’s not as if the fix is in or that there are any guarantee in these things.

Still, should be an interesting 48 hours for all involved.
Just saying maybe that trade winds blow from many directions.

Resnick, by the way, told TSN today that “We’re hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable for the Blue Jackets.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Sharks essentially have 30 hours to turn a horrific road trip into an average one. Pick up four points here and in Minnesota, and San Jose brings home 9 of a possible 18 points.

“And the way it went early,” Todd McLellan said, “we would relish that right now.”

No easy task, especially tonight against a Nashville team that provides an example that McLellan hopes his team will follow when it comes to staying out of the penalty box. The Predators are the third least penalized team in the NHL, averaging 8.9 minutes per game; the Sharks are the 13th least penalized averaging 10.6 minutes.

After showing little discipline in that 6-3 loss to Columbus, the Sharks didn’t give Toronto a single power play in beating the Maple Leafs 2-1.

“We did talk about it (before Toronto) and we will remind (tonight). Sometimes your emotions get away on you,” McLellan said, citing Ryane Clowe’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Columbus, “but there were some other sloppy penalties, lazy penalties – reaching, holding when you don’t have to. When we’re playing well, we’re disciplined, we don’t take many penalties.”

Clowe noted the Sharks can still play a tough game while staying out of the box.

“We didn’t take any penalties last game and we were sound with our sticks. We played a pretty physical game last time, too. We were pretty heavy on the forecheck,” he said. “We went after them a little bit but we were disciplined.”

Then he added: “For the most part we’ve been pretty good there as far as taking penalties, but sometimes it gets away from you, especially when you’re on a losing streak and frustration builds up. It’s good to kind of take a step back and refocus.”

*****Antti Niemi was the first off the ice at the morning skate, so – no surprise – he’ll be in goal against the Predators. More intriguing (although maybe equally predictable) is who gets the start in Minnesota. Could depend on how Niemi does tonight, of course, but Thomas Greiss would seem to be the safer bet.